[SET]
Primordial Sea (Zapdos) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Primordial Sea
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe or 252 HP / 104 SpA / 152 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunder / Volt Switch
- Hurricane / Weather Ball
- U-turn / Weather Ball
- Roost
[SET COMMENTS]
Zapdos is an amazing pivot thanks to its great Special Attack, longevity with Roost, and typing letting it check Great Tusk and IronPress Zamazenta lacking Stone Edge and threaten physical walls like Corviknight and Manaphy. Primordial Sea further enhances this, letting Zapdos switch into threats like Heatran, Iron Moth, Cinderace, and Ogerpon-H thanks to the Fire immunity granted by it. Thunder OHKOes Moltres and Choice Specs Primarina, significantly pressures RegenVest Manaphy, and can cripple switch-ins like RegenVest Roaring Moon with paralysis, while Volt Switch allows Zapdos to pivot out and forego U-turn for Weather Ball at the cost of being blocked by Ground-types like Swampert and Iron Treads and Volt Absorb users like Corviknight and Empoleon. Hurricane OHKOes Fighting-types like Great Tusk and Zamazenta and can potentially chip switch-ins like Swampert with some confusion luck. Weather Ball threatens Ground-types like Ting-Lu, Sandy Shocks, and non-Bulletproof Iron Treads, as well as Fire-types like Ceruledge and Heatran in the rain. U-turn lets Zapdos pivot out of special walls that are immune to Electric. A bulkier EV spread lets Zapdos better answer threats like Great Tusk and Zamazenta at the cost of not always OHKOing Moltres and Choice Specs Primarina with Thunder.
Physically defensive Corviknight makes a great core with Zapdos, as it can switch into physical attackers that threaten Zapdos like Roaring Moon, Chien-Pao, and Iron Boulder; in return, Zapdos can check Fire-types that trouble Corviknight like Cinderace, Iron Moth, and Ogerpon-H. Powerful special attackers like Deoxys-S and Latios easily force Zapdos out, making teammates that can handle them like Scream Tail and Iron Treads appreciated. Zapdos usually invites in special walls like Heatran and RegenVest Swampert and Roaring Moon due to its tendency to struggle against them, so powerful physical attackers that can handle them like Zamazenta, Roaring Moon, and Meowscarada make for a great pairing; Roaring Moon and Meowscarada also form a VoltTurn core with Zapdos thanks to it being able to OHKO Great Tusk for Roaring Moon and being able to handle physically defensive Corviknight for both Roaring Moon and Meowscarada. Knock Off absorbers like Great Tusk and the aforementioned Corviknight can help Zapdos keep it's Heavy-Duty Boots, preventing it from being crippled by it's Stealth Rock weakness; they can also remove entry hazards for it in case it gets hit by a Knock Off.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/kinetic.552227/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Both Primordial Sea and No Guard can run a Choice Specs set to act as a wallbreaker and catch the opponent off guard, being able to OHKO specally defensive Manaphy after entry hazard damage and 2HKO Swampert once they have lost their Assault Vest. However, the entry hazard weakness requires significant hazard removal support from teammates like Corviknight, Great Tusk, and Iron Treads, and Primordial Sea Zapdos especially loses a significant amount of its defensive utility while Choice-locked. No Guard sets can forego Roost for Heat Wave when running Choice Specs to hit Electric immune Steel-types like Iron Treads and Volt Absorb Corviknight.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric immune Steel-types:** Bulletproof Iron Treads and Volt Absorb Corviknight and Empoleon can wall most Zapdos sets while threatening it with a Knock Off or pivoting to another teammate to force it out.
**RegenVesters:** RegenVest users like Swampert, Roaring Moon, and Iron Hands can all switch into Zapdos and pressure it and pivot out to a teammate that can force Zapdos out; the former two can also remove Zapdos's Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Faster threats:** Offensive threats like Roaring Moon, Deoxys-S, and Chien-Pao can outspeed and severely damage or OHKO Zapdos.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/kinetic.552227/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gambit.652656/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
Primordial Sea (Zapdos) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Primordial Sea
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe or 252 HP / 104 SpA / 152 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunder / Volt Switch
- Hurricane / Weather Ball
- U-turn / Weather Ball
- Roost
[SET COMMENTS]
Zapdos is an amazing pivot thanks to its great Special Attack, longevity with Roost, and typing letting it check Great Tusk and IronPress Zamazenta lacking Stone Edge and threaten physical walls like Corviknight and Manaphy. Primordial Sea further enhances this, letting Zapdos switch into threats like Heatran, Iron Moth, Cinderace, and Ogerpon-H thanks to the Fire immunity granted by it. Thunder OHKOes Moltres and Choice Specs Primarina, significantly pressures RegenVest Manaphy, and can cripple switch-ins like RegenVest Roaring Moon with paralysis, while Volt Switch allows Zapdos to pivot out and forego U-turn for Weather Ball at the cost of being blocked by Ground-types like Swampert and Iron Treads and Volt Absorb users like Corviknight and Empoleon. Hurricane OHKOes Fighting-types like Great Tusk and Zamazenta and can potentially chip switch-ins like Swampert with some confusion luck. Weather Ball threatens Ground-types like Ting-Lu, Sandy Shocks, and non-Bulletproof Iron Treads, as well as Fire-types like Ceruledge and Heatran in the rain. U-turn lets Zapdos pivot out of special walls that are immune to Electric. A bulkier EV spread lets Zapdos better answer threats like Great Tusk and Zamazenta at the cost of not always OHKOing Moltres and Choice Specs Primarina with Thunder.
Physically defensive Corviknight makes a great core with Zapdos, as it can switch into physical attackers that threaten Zapdos like Roaring Moon, Chien-Pao, and Iron Boulder; in return, Zapdos can check Fire-types that trouble Corviknight like Cinderace, Iron Moth, and Ogerpon-H. Powerful special attackers like Deoxys-S and Latios easily force Zapdos out, making teammates that can handle them like Scream Tail and Iron Treads appreciated. Zapdos usually invites in special walls like Heatran and RegenVest Swampert and Roaring Moon due to its tendency to struggle against them, so powerful physical attackers that can handle them like Zamazenta, Roaring Moon, and Meowscarada make for a great pairing; Roaring Moon and Meowscarada also form a VoltTurn core with Zapdos thanks to it being able to OHKO Great Tusk for Roaring Moon and being able to handle physically defensive Corviknight for both Roaring Moon and Meowscarada. Knock Off absorbers like Great Tusk and the aforementioned Corviknight can help Zapdos keep it's Heavy-Duty Boots, preventing it from being crippled by it's Stealth Rock weakness; they can also remove entry hazards for it in case it gets hit by a Knock Off.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/kinetic.552227/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Both Primordial Sea and No Guard can run a Choice Specs set to act as a wallbreaker and catch the opponent off guard, being able to OHKO specally defensive Manaphy after entry hazard damage and 2HKO Swampert once they have lost their Assault Vest. However, the entry hazard weakness requires significant hazard removal support from teammates like Corviknight, Great Tusk, and Iron Treads, and Primordial Sea Zapdos especially loses a significant amount of its defensive utility while Choice-locked. No Guard sets can forego Roost for Heat Wave when running Choice Specs to hit Electric immune Steel-types like Iron Treads and Volt Absorb Corviknight.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric immune Steel-types:** Bulletproof Iron Treads and Volt Absorb Corviknight and Empoleon can wall most Zapdos sets while threatening it with a Knock Off or pivoting to another teammate to force it out.
**RegenVesters:** RegenVest users like Swampert, Roaring Moon, and Iron Hands can all switch into Zapdos and pressure it and pivot out to a teammate that can force Zapdos out; the former two can also remove Zapdos's Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Faster threats:** Offensive threats like Roaring Moon, Deoxys-S, and Chien-Pao can outspeed and severely damage or OHKO Zapdos.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/kinetic.552227/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gambit.652656/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
Last edited:
